UK > History > 2010 > Violence (I)

Man arrested

over Bradford prostitute murders

West Yorkshire police
question 40-year-old about three missing women
after body parts found floating in river

Adam Gabbatt and agencies
Guardian.co.uk
Wednesday 26 May 2010
14.45 BST
This article was published on guardian.co.uk
at 14.45 BST on Wednesday 26 May 2010.
It was last modified at 16.12 BST
on Wednesday 26 May 2010.

A man is being questioned about the murder of three women after body parts were found in a Yorkshire river, police said today.

West Yorkshire police said a 40-year-old man was being questioned about the disappearance of the three Bradford women after the discovery, in the river Aire yesterday. The remains were found floating at Shipley, West Yorkshire, at about 2pm.

Police said the man had been arrested on suspicion of murdering Suzanne Blamires, 36, from Allerton in Bradford, Shelley Armitage, 31, also from Allerton, and Susan Rushworth, 43, from the Manningham area of the city. The three women had been working as prostitutes.

Blamires, 36, has not been seen since Friday, Armitage has been missing since Monday 26 April, and Rushworth was last seen near her home on 22 June last year.

Assistant Chief Constable Jawaid Akhtar said police had been granted extra time to question the man, who was arrested on Monday.

He said the body parts appeared to be the remains of an unidentified woman.

At a news conference at the scene, at the junction of Dockfield Road and Otley Road in Shipley, Akhtar said: "The man is being questioned on suspicion of the murder of Suzanne Blamires, aged 36, who went missing on Friday.

"He has also been arrested and will be questioned on suspicion of the murder of Shelley Armitage, aged 31, who has been missing since Monday 26 April, and the murder of Susan Rushworth, aged 43, who has been missing since Monday 22 June 2009."

    Man arrested over Bradford prostitute murders, G, 26.5.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/26/arrested-bradford-prostitute-murders

Teenager killed on bus

after trying to save girlfriend

May 10, 2010
The Times
Mary Bowers

A teenager was stabbed to death as he tried to protect his girlfriend from a random attacker as they celebrated her 18th birthday.

Marcin Bilaszewski, 19, and Anna Betlinska were with friends on their way to a party in Central London on Saturday when a “disturbed” bus passenger started to hurl insults at them.

Mr Bilaszewski, a construction worker originally from Poland, stepped in after the man allegedly punched Miss Betlinska in the face as they got off the 254 bus outside Finsbury Park Tube station. The man followed the group off the bus and stabbed Mr Bilaszewski in the stomach before running off.

Friends said the attacker seemed “disturbed” and “on drugs”.

Mr Bilaszewski was pronounced dead at a North London hospital.

Dagmara Drzymota said: “There was a big group of us, 20 to 25, but the man on the bus started insulting us for no reason. None of us knew him. As we were getting off the bus most had gone ahead when the man punched Anna. Marcin tried to protect her but the man pulled out a knife and stabbed him.”

Eliza Kowalczyk, 17, who was with a group laying flowers at the scene yesterday, said: “We can’t believe it. Marcin was lovely, he had loads of friends.”

It is believed that Mr Bilaszewski had lived with his father and stepmother in Tottenham for the past five years. Miss Betlinska, an arts student, was being comforted by her parents last night.

Scotland Yard said they were looking for a black male. They were examining CCTV footage of the scene.

Teen killings in London this year now total 11 — eight in the past seven weeks. A 16-year-old youth is due in court today charged with the murder of Nick Pearton, 16, in Sydenham on Wednesday.

    Teenager killed on bus after trying to save girlfriend, Ts, 10.5.2010, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article7121263.ece

Tracey Sutherland jailed for neglect of baby son found dead at her home

Manchester mother admitted child cruelty to 13-month-old boy who may have died two days before 999 call

Helen Carter
Guardian.co.uk
Wednesday 21 April 2010
21.31 BST
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 21.31 BST on Wednesday 21 April 2010.
A version appeared on p7 of the Main section section of the Guardian on Thursday 22 April 2010.

A mother who admitted neglect after her 13-month-old son was found dead at her home in Manchester was sentenced to 27 months in prison today.

Tracey Sutherland, 39, from Baguley, pleaded guilty to child cruelty by neglect at an earlier hearing at Manchester crown court following the death of her son Alexander. The court heard that shortly before 7am on 10 November last year, Sutherland contacted emergency services and said there was a dead baby in her house.

She told the operator she had been alone with her baby for three days, as she could not let him go. The court heard he may have died two days before her call. He was taken to hospital, where he was officially pronounced dead.

Ambulance staff had arrived before police and found Alexander strapped in a pushchair by a lit gas fire. He was wearing a stained babygrow. His mother was found walking nearby and was taken to a police station. Several marks were found on her son's body, but a postmortem examination was inconclusive.

A pathologist said the boy had been neglected in the days before his death, but there was no causal link between the neglect and his death.

Alexander was known to social workers but was not on the at-risk register. The independent Manchester Safeguarding Children Board is heading a multi-agency serious case review.

At a previous court hearing, it emerged there was evidence of charring to his body and bruising to his torso and forehead. He had extensive nappy rash, with faeces and urine on his body.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Eckersley, of West Didsbury CID, said: "This is a truly sad case and Sutherland has fully admitted her neglect of Alex. My thoughts continue to be with the family at this emotional time."

In a statement, the family said: "No sentence could be given that would ever bring him back. We miss him and think of him every day. Today has given us some closure."

Speaking last November, resident Neil Hallam, 35, spoke of the community's shock at Alex's death. He said: "I often saw Tracey with the little boy so it was a huge shock when I heard he had died. Everyone was distraught. He was only a baby, so it's horrible and such a tragedy."

    Tracey Sutherland jailed for neglect of baby son found dead at her home, G, 21.4.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/21/tracey-sutherland-mother-dead-baby-jailed

Hanged girl's parents jailed for child cruelty

• Susan and Simon Moody sentenced to 12-month prison term
• Daughter Charlotte left in 'revolting and squalid' conditions

Saturday 10 April 2010
The Guardian
Anil Dawar
This article appeared on p21 of the Main section section of the Guardian on Saturday 10 April 2010.
It was published on guardian.co.uk at 00.09 BST on Saturday 10 April 2010.
It was last modified at 00.15 BST on Saturday 10 April 2010.

The mother and stepfather of an eight-year-old girl who accidentally hanged herself in her "revolting and squalid" bedroom have been jailed for child cruelty.

Susan and Simon Moody locked Charlotte Avenall, who had a mental age of three, in her faeces-covered room for 12 hours a night and left her to use a chest of drawers as a toilet.

She was found dead on her knees with a cord tied round her neck and her face against a radiator at her home in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, last September.

Yesterday, Susan and Simon Moody were both sentenced to 12 months in prison after admitting child cruelty.

A serious case review was started by Nottinghamshire county council after it emerged that social workers had been monitoring the family but had not seen the girl for a month before she died.

Nottingham crown court heard that Charlotte was born with a severe brain defect and her family was referred for specialist help in 2006.

In March last year, she was withdrawn from school after teachers reported that she regularly arrived with excrement on her hands and was inappropriately dressed for the weather conditions.

Social workers saw Charlotte in June but when nobody was at home for a planned visit in August, there was no follow-up appointment made. It was at this time the neglect started, it was said.

With heart-rending evidence the court heard that Charlotte's lifeless body was discovered clothed in her filthy pyjamas. The walls of her room were covered with her excrement.

A postmortem found her scalp was riddled with head lice and her body dehydrated.

William Harbage QC, prosecuting, said: "It's beyond the comprehension of any parent, indeed any normal person, how a mother or father could allow a child to spend a single night in that room."

He described the rest of the house as a "little bit grubby" in contrast to Charlotte's "revolting and squalid" bedroom.

During sentencing Judge Butler said: "It's quite plain that the death of Charlotte was a tragic but preventable accident. All it would have taken to keep her safe was for somebody to go into that room and see how it was. Instead, she was left in a foul and filthy mess for four weeks."

    Hanged girl's parents jailed for child cruelty, G, 10.4.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/10/hanged-girl-parents-jail-child-cruelty

Fatal stabbing of London teenager adds to fears over gang-related knife crime

Aspiring footballer's death is second from suspected gang violence in the capital in three days

Saturday 27 March 2010
19.54 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
Jamie Doward
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 19.54 GMT on Saturday 27 March 2010.
A version appeared on p7 of the Main section section of the Observer on Sunday 28 March 2010.

Fears of knife crime in Britain's inner cities were reignited after a teenager died in what appears to have been the second fatal gang-related stabbing in London within three days.

Godwin Lawson, a 17-year-old aspiring footballer from north London, was found by police in Hackney in the east of the capital. Godwin, originally from Ghana but living in London with his mother and stepfather, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Friends of the victim later laid flowers. Natalie Rochester-Clarke, 17, said: "He was always so happy, always laughing." Her friend, 16-year-old Paula Blanco-Rubio, said: "I've known him for two or three years. He was like a big brother to me."

The two girls said Godwin was a popular boy who went to a football college after leaving school.

Rochester-Clarke said Godwin believed he could have been caught up a turf war. "He was from Tottenham and this is Stamford Hill," she said.

Two other victims, Colombian brothers Daniel and Julian Escobar, were taken to a nearby hospital suffering from stab wounds. One is said to be in a serious condition.

The stabbing occurred shortly before 2am. Police said there were many people around. "The area would still have been quite busy at the time of the attack, so we need to speak to anyone who saw what happened," said Detective Chief Inspector John Macdonald.

Local residents said fighting among youths in the area was not uncommon. A 26-year-old man from the Samuel Lewis Trust estate, which overlooks the scene, said: "We get a lot of that around here. Something like this was bound to happen. It's always been a rough area. I think it is to do with turf wars between the areas around here – Stoke Newington, Tottenham, etc."

The stabbing, which occurred in the same part of London where 17-year-old Jahmal Mason-Blair died from knife wounds last May, will raise fresh concerns about gang violence in the UK's inner cities. It was the fifth fatal stabbing in the capital this year. But knife attacks in London have fallen from a peak of 30 in 2008.

The incident comes days after the killing of 15-year-old Sofyen Belamouadden in a suspected gang fight during rush hour at London's Victoria station. Witnesses described how a gang wearing school uniform chased him from the station concourse into an underground ticket hall and then knifed him repeatedly in the chest shortly after 5pm on Thursday as horrified commuters looked on.

"I saw too much," said one Transport for London worker who asked not to give his name. "I saw him on the ground bleeding. I've been working but I think the shock of it has only just come down on me now."

Sarfraz Ahmed, who manages a shop in an arcade at the station, said youngsters had been causing trouble for a few weeks. "One day last week a gang chased a boy into a shop and attacked him and trashed the place," he said. "They are about 15 or 16 and come here on their bikes. This place has been like a bloody jungle."

Police released a man in his 30s and continued questioning 19 suspects aged between 14 and 17.

Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane, from the Metropolitan police, said he believed the fight had been arranged between rival gangs. "I believe this was a planned fight," he said. "A number of individuals travelled by various bus routes to Victoria carrying weapons."

    Fatal stabbing of London teenager adds to fears over gang-related knife crime, G, 27.3.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/27/knife-stabbing-godwin-lawson-gangs

Youth dies after rush hour stabbing at London's Victoria tube station

Several arrested following incident in which victim suffered stab wounds to upper body and later died in hospital

David Batty and agencies
Guardian.co.uk
Thursday 25 March 2010
20.54 GMT
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 20.54 GMT on Thursday 25 March 2010.

A youth has been stabbed to death at London's Victoria tube station during the evening rush hour.

Several arrests were made following the incident at the station, one of the busiest in the capital, which occurred shortly before 5.20pm today, British Transport Police said.

The victim suffered serious stab wounds to his upper body and died in hospital, a police spokesman said.

The incident caused disruption to passengers as Circle and District line trains did not stop at Victoria while the police investigation continued.

A Transport for London spokeswoman said: "We received reports of a passenger incident at Victoria tube station. Police were called to the scene and are investigating.

"District and Circle lines are not stopping and the ticket hall is closed."

She said Victoria line services were not affected and the ticket hall in that part of the station remained open.

Sarfraz Ahmed, who manages a shop in an arcade at the station, said youngsters had been causing trouble for a few weeks.

He said: "One day last week a gang chased a boy into a shop and attacked him and trashed the place.

"They are about 15 or 16 and come here on their bikes. This place has been like a bloody jungle."

A statement from British Transport Police confirmed that officers were investigating a fatal stabbing at the station.

"A male youth was taken to hospital, where he later died.

"Police can confirm that a number of arrests have been made and officers from the BTP and Metropolitan police remain at the scene.

"Passengers are advised to avoid the area at the present time and expect delays to journeys."

Anyone with information should contact BTP on 0800 405040.

    Youth dies after rush hour stabbing at London's Victoria tube station, G, 25.3.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/25/victoria-tube-station-stabbing

Police under investigation over Fiona Pilkington case

IPCC looking at how officers handled case of mother who killed herself and disabled daughter after years of abuse by youths

Tuesday 16 March 2010
17.03 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
James Sturcke
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 17.03 GMT on Tuesday 16 March 2010.
It was last modified at 17.03 GMT on Tuesday 16 March 2010.

Ten Leicestershire police officers are under investigation over the way they handled the case of Fiona Pilkington and her daughter Francecca Hardwick, who were found dead in a burned out car after suffering years of abuse from yobs, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said today.

An inquest last September found that police errors and inaction were partly responsible for driving the vulnerable single mother to kill herself and her severely disabled daughter.

Returning a verdict of suicide on Pilkington, 38, and unlawful killing for her 18-year-old daughter, whose bodies were found in a blazing car on a layby in October 2007, the jury decided that the police action "contributed" to the deaths, notably the failure of officers to connect dozens of separate calls for assistance.

The IPCC said it had served advisory notices on 10 officers informing them that their conduct was under investigation.

"This complex inquiry is going back over police contact with Fiona Pilkington, her daughter and neighbours over a period of several years. We are assessing information from family members, neighbours, the authorities involved, records of police contact, and the accounts of relevant police officers themselves," the IPCC said in a statement.

The inquest jury heard Pilkington contacted police on no fewer than 33 occasions in seven years in which youths throwing stones and shouting abuse had kept her a virtual prisoner in her home in Barwell, near Hinckley in Leicestershire.

Asked how police were responsible, the jury said: "Calls were not linked or prioritised."

The IPPC subsequently launched an investigation into the way the "distressing" case was handled, in particular, how seriously the police responded to Pilkington's calls for help.

The commission added that substantial work was still left to do: "We are progressing this rigorous investigation as swiftly as possible and will make our findings public in due course."

The inquest verdict also held the local council partly accountable for failing over a period of years to take action against the young gangs, and criticised the county social services department for not referring Pilkington for professional help after she said she felt suicidal.

The coroner, Olivia Davison, said: "I am concerned about the evidence I have received in this inquest about the process for gathering and recording information from victims of antisocial abuse."

Separately, the jury blamed poor sharing of information between the police and councils for contributing to the deaths, but also noted Pilkington had neither "sought nor accepted" help on occasions.

Pilkington's blue Austin Maestro was found in flames on a layby by the side of the A47 near the family's home on the night of 23 October, 2007. Inside the car, which had been set ablaze with petrol, were the severely burned bodies of Pilkington and Francecca. The inquest was told that Pilkington probably took the family's pet rabbit in the car as well to soothe Francecca, who had a mental age of about four.

The six-day hearing heard a mass of evidence, at times deeply harrowing, of the way in which gangs of teenagers and children, some as young as 10, had kept Pilkington, Francecca and Pilkington's son, Anthony, who has milder learning difficulties, "under siege".

Reacting to the news of the investigation, the shadow home secretary, Chris Grayling, said: "There's no doubt that the tragic deaths of Fiona Pilkington and her daughter Francecca have massively undermined public confidence in the ability of police to deal with antisocial behaviour.

"That's why it's really important that all the lessons are fully learned by those who were directly involved."

    Police under investigation over Fiona Pilkington case, G, 16.3.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/16/police-under-investiation-fiona-pilkington

Authorities apologise to members of family raped by father

Man from Sheffield repeatedly raped and physically and sexually abused daughters in case with echoes of Josef Fritzl

Helen Carter
Guardian.co.uk
Wednesday 10 March 2010
15.13 GMT
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 15.13 GMT on Wednesday 10 March 2010.
It was last modified at 15.24 GMT on Wednesday 10 March 2010.

Local authorities in Lincolnshire and Sheffield today apologised to members of a family for failing to protect them from their father, who repeatedly raped and physically and sexually abused them over a period of 35 years.

The unreserved apology came in the aftermath of the publication of an executive summary of a serious case review by the Lincolnshire and Sheffield safeguarding children board of the family.

The 57-year-old man, from Sheffield – who cannot be identified – was jailed for life in November 2008 after one of his daughters alleged incest.

He repeatedly impregnated two daughters, and nine children were born. The case has echoes of that of Josef Fritzl, who imprisoned and raped his daughter.

The man admitted 25 rapes and four indecent assaults, with the attacks beginning in 1980 and continuing daily until 2008.

If the daughters resisted they were beaten, kicked and held by the flames of a gas fire.

Between 1975 and 2008 the family came into contact with 28 different agencies, involving more than 100 professionals.

The 39-page executive summary of the serious case review, written by Professor Pat Cantrill and spanning 35 years, found numerous opportunities to intervene "were missed individually and collectively".

The review made 128 recommendations for improving understanding, practice, procedures and training into intra-familial abuse.

It also recommended improvements in sharing information, record-keeping and support for professionals. All have been implemented or are being implemented.

Chris Cook, the independent chair of the Lincolnshire and Sheffield safeguarding children board, said: "We are genuinely sorry. We should have protected you.

"This is a tragic and complicated case. The man responsible, who intimidated and frightened his family, was convicted of multiple counts of rape and is serving a life sentence."

Local authorities, police and health organisations also gave assurances that changes in safeguarding systems, process and practices now better protected families from abuse.

    Authorities apologise to members of family raped by father, G, 10.3.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/10/father-raped-daughters-authorities-apologise

Four charged with shopkeeper's murder

A 20-year-old man and three 17-year-old boys have been charged with the murder Gurmail Singh in his Huddersfield store

Haroon Siddique
Guardian.co.uk
Thursday 4 March 2010
09.22 GMT
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 09.22 GMT on Thursday 4 March 2010.
It was last modified at 09.23 GMT on Thursday 4 March 2010.

A 20-year-old man and three teenagers have been charged with the murder of a shopkeeper killed during a robbery on his Huddersfield store, police said today.

Muawaz Khalid, 20, and three 17-year-old boys will appear before magistrates today accused of the murder and robbery of Gurmail Singh. Singh, 63, suffered serious head injuries when he was attacked at the Cowcliffe convenience store on the evening of 20 February. He died in hospital early the following morning. Police said he was hit at least nine times, possibly with a hammer, in the attack. The four men charged last night are all from the Huddersfield area.

Gurmail Singh. Photograph: West Yorkshire Police/PA
On Monday, a 17-year-old boy, also from the Huddersfield area, was charged with robbery in relation to an incident at Singh's shop, two days before the shopkeeper was killed, during which cigarettes were taken from the store.

Singh, came to the UK in 1963, and leaves a wife, two adult sons and a daughter. He turned 63 the day before he was killed.

Mehboob Khan, a local councillor and leader of Kirklees council, who knew Singh for 19 years, described him as "the kind of guy who wouldn't hurt a fly".

"He was down-to-earth, always cheerful, a really intelligent, friendly person. He worked extremely hard."

    Four charged with shopkeeper's murder, G, 4.3.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/04/four-charged-shopkeepers-murder-huddersfield

Man aged 21 arrested over murder of woman and baby

Hampshire police confirm they have ended the search for Stephanie Bellinger's former partner Anthony Marsh

Monday 1 March 2010
13.06 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
Maev Kennedy
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 13.06 GMT on Monday 1 March 2010.
It was last modified at 14.25 GMT on Monday 1 March 2010.

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder over the deaths of a woman and her baby daughter in Hampshire.

The man was arrested in Fareham this morning, and is being questioned by detectives investigating the double killing.

The bodies of Stephanie Bellinger, aged 24, and her daughter Lily, aged eight months, were found at their home in Totton, Hampshire, on Saturday.

The man has not yet been formally named.

A hunt was launched for her former partner, 21-year-old Anthony Marsh, after the bodies were found. Marsh's mother broke down in tears yesterday, while making an appeal to her son to hand himself in.

A spokesman for Hampshire police said they had called off the search for Marsh, and added: "Officers are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the Operation Coachman investigation."

A postmortem found that Bellinger died of stab wounds, and a further postmortem is due on Lily's body today.

Their bodies were found at their home early on Saturday morning by Bellinger's parents, concerned that they hadn't heard from her.

Her family said the deaths had left "a huge hole" in their lives, describing her as "a fun-loving free spirit who was always happy and smiling. Stephanie was a wonderful daughter, sister, aunt and mother. Lily was a bouncing, happy little baby who was a delight to be with, a little chatterbox who brought joy to our lives. There are no words to describe how we, as a family, are all feeling. We now have a huge hole in our lives which we have to try and come to terms with."

The couple also had a two-year-old son, Charlie, who was unharmed.

    Man aged 21 arrested over murder of woman and baby, G, 1.3.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/01/hampshire-man-arrested-murder-mother-baby

Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after body of toddler found

Friday 19 February 2010
23.29 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
Jo Adetunji
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 23.29 GMT on Friday 19 February 2010

A 29-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a toddler was found at a house in West Yorkshire, police said today.

The body of the two-and-a-half-year-old girl was found at the house in Naylor Court, Dewsbury, by healthcare workers who alerted the police at around 2pm today.

Neighbour Janine Barraclough described the girl as "beautiful with mousey brown hair and blue eyes."

"She was a happy kid. You would see her playing in the park," she said.

A post mortem carried out by a Home Office pathologist is due to be carried out tomorrow to determine how the toddler died.

A police spokeswoman said the woman was arrested at the house and that detectives were not looking for anyone else in connection with the death.

    Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after body of toddler found, G, 19.2.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/19/woman-arrested-murder-toddler